HILLSBOROUGH RIDR DUI PROGRAM – A SECOND CHANCE FOR FIRST OFFENDERS.

Starting on March 1, 2018, the Hillsborough Office of the State Attorney will unveil its new RIDR (Reducing Impaired Driving Recidivism) program. This is a program that allows for certain firs-time, non-aggravated DUI offenders to escape the drastic consequences of a qualifying DUI arrest.

To qualify for this program, the offense must have occurred after March 1^st, 2018. Additionally, to be eligible for this program the following must apply.:

1. The DUI must be a misdemeanor,
2. There cannot have been a minor in the car,
3. There cannot have been a crash involved with the DUI,
4. The B.A.C. must be below .20,

Your record cannot contain the following:

1. A previous DUI,
2. A previous alcohol-related Reckless Driving,
3. A DWLSR with Serious Bodily Injury or Death,
4. A Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Injury or Death,
5. A Vehicular Homicide,
6. A previous DUI Diversion Program,
7. No more than 1 non-DUI Diversion Program as an adult,
8. No adjudication, withhold of adjudication or any portion of a felony sentence within 5 years of the date of the current DUI.

You cannot have any of the following circumstances pending:

1. Florida driver’s license suspension,
2. DUI,
3. DWLSR with Serious Bodily Injury or Death,
4. Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Injury or Death,
5. Vehicular Homicide or,
6. Participation in Pre-Trial Intervention or supervision.

If you meet all the above criteria, you are then eligible to have the State Attorney’s Office determine your edibility. These standards are complicated in and of themselves, but there are additional relevant factors that may determine your eligibility that are too numerous to list here.

So, if you have a pending DUI since March 1, 2018, how do you know whether your case will qualify for this beneficial DUI program? Contact an Experienced Tampa DUI Attorney at Taracks & Associates at 813-281-2897 for a Free Consultation today.

Since we have represented individuals who have been charged with DUI for more than 30 years in Hillsborough County, we remain current not just with the courts and the law, but also with the policy and processes put in place by the Office of the State Attorney in Hillsborough and other counties throughout Florida.

During this Free Consultation, we will not only discuss the facts of your DUI arrest, but also whether you qualify for the RIDR Program. If we feel that you are a candidate for that program, and it is something you will consider, we will also chart out a path through the process to have you evaluated for that program.

The RIDR Program has three levels of DUI eligibility:

1. DUI with B.A.C. .15 or below,
2. DUI with above .15 or a refusal,
3. DUI based upon drug consumption (whether illegal or prescription).

Steps toward your admission into this program include the following tasks that must be completed even before concluding your case:

1. Remain crime-free,
2. Complete the appropriate DUI School, and follow any recommended treatment,
3. Complete on MADD Victim Impact Panel and,
4. Complete 10 community service hours.
5. Level 1 and 2 DUI’s must also provide proof of either; the installation of a Guardian Interlock Device, or a continuous alcohol monitoring device (SCRAM or equivalent),
6. Level 3 DUI’s must not possess/consume alcohol, illegal drugs (including non-prescribed drugs) and,
7. Use PharmCheck Drugs of Abuse Patch with results provided to the Office of the State Attorney.

If your case has been approved into the RIDR Program, and the above-referenced tasks have been completed, the following sentence can then be expected:

1. Level 1 penalties to be imposed:
   1. Withhold of adjudication to a charge of Reckless Driving (not considered a criminal conviction),
   2. 12 months of probation,
   3. Standard court costs to be impose with the following conditions of probation:
      1. 10-day immobilization of the vehicle you were driving,
      2. 50 hours of community service,
      3. 3-month Guardian Interlock Ignition Device,
      4. Possess/Consume no alcohol, illegal drugs or non-prescribed narcotics, during the period of your probation,
      5. Attend and successfully complete the appropriate DUI School and any recommended treatment.

2. Level 2 penalties to be imposed:
   1. Withhold of adjudication to a charge of Reckless Driving (not considered a criminal conviction),
   2. 12 months of probation,
   3. Standard court costs to be impose with the following conditions of probation:
      1. 10-day immobilization of the vehicle you were driving,
      2. 75 hours of community service,
      3. 6-month Guardian Interlock Ignition Device,
      4. Possess/Consume no alcohol, illegal drugs or non-prescribed narcotics, during the period of your probation,
      5. Attend and successfully complete the appropriate DUI School and any recommended treatment.

3. Level 3 penalties to be imposed:
   1. Withhold of adjudication to a charge of Reckless Driving (not considered a criminal conviction),
   2. 12 months of probation,
   3. Standard court costs to be impose with the following conditions of probation:
      1. 10-day immobilization of the vehicle you were driving,
      2. 50 hours of community service,
      3. Wear a PharmCheck Drugs of Abuse Patch for 3 months with the results provided to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Probation Department,
      4. Possess/Consume no alcohol, illegal drugs or non-prescribed narcotics, during the period of your probation,
      5. Attend and successfully complete the appropriate DUI School and any recommended treatment.

Any of the above conditions that are completed before you are sentenced to the reduced charge of Reckless Driving will be credited to your probation requirements.

While these court penalties may still seem very harsh to someone who has never been charged with a DUI before, successful completion of this program can save thousands of dollars in insurance costs over the next 5 years, as well as continue to keep your record free of a criminal conviction.

So, if you have a pending DUI, do not hesitate and don’t wait, call one of the Tampa Criminal DUI Attorneys at Taracks & Associates at 913-281-2897 today for your Free Consultation.